Episode 48: Killer Or Protector Of Children?

In the nature, protecting and feeding the younger generation is the natural instinct of most animals and human beings. It seems normal if you see a lion mom feeding her cub with a baby antelope. What about if you see a lion mom feeding her cub with another lion cub from another lion mom? I guess it is called cannibalism in that case.

Today we are talking about a goddess and demon called GuiZiMuShen 鬼子母神in Chinese or Kishimojin in Japanese. Originally from Buddhism in India, the goddess Hariti had hundreds of children whom she loved. In order to feed all of them, she killed the children of others. Those bereaved moms who lost their children pleaded to the Buddha for help. The Buddha stole the youngest kid of Hariti and hid under his bowl. Searching everywhere for her youngest kid desperately, Hariti herself approached to the Buddha for help. The Buddha explained to her that now she understood the pain of loosing her child and asked her if she could imagine the suffering of other parents whose children were killed and devoured. Hariti finally realized her sins and vowed to protect all children and became the protector of children and women in childbirth from a children killer.

There are many temples of GuiZiMuShen in Asia especially in Japan. People go there for blessings for their children and women with children as well.